


Concerning Dragons

by epsilonAbsol, OneBecomesTwo



Series: The Ravioverse [5]
Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, LinkedUniverse - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
Genre: Dragons, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Ravioverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-05-20 13:31:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19377700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/epsilonAbsol/pseuds/epsilonAbsol, https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneBecomesTwo/pseuds/OneBecomesTwo
Summary: In which Shadow befriends a loftwing and quickly becomes the Ravios' Plan H.For hellfire, obviously.Alternatively: pour one out for that one time shadow torched hyrule because he wanted attention





	Concerning Dragons

**Author's Note:**

> its ya boi back at it again with Obscure AUs of Things
> 
> If you're in here reading this you probably know what the Linked Universe is, so if you wanna know what the Ravioverse is, it's the same thing but with Ravio. Basically, every Link has a Ravio counterpart, who had their own adventure in Lorule even if Link never went there (or did, just not knowing it by that name). For example, the Twilight Realm was the same place as A Link Between Worlds' Lorule, just at different points in their timeline.
> 
> Quick rundown of who's who in the Ravioverse and which game their counterpart is from:
> 
> Origin - the First Ravio (pre-Skyward Sword)  
> Empyrean - Skyward Sword  
> Viola and Space (EDIT: THERE'S A THIRD ONE HIS NAME'S FLOW I FORGOT) - Ocarina of Time  
> Shade - Twilight Princess  
> Sketch - A Link Between Worlds  
> Shadow - Four Swords  
> Battler - Hyrule Warriors  
> Compass - Wind Waker  
> Warp - Breath of the Wild  
> Atlas - The Adventure of Link
> 
> Velia has done some wonderful art of the lads, which you can see [here,](https://one-becomes-tart.tumblr.com/) and has been a Wonderful editor after I wrote this I appreciate it so much.......
> 
> I hope y'all like it and the kids lol
> 
> EDIT: This was written before we fully settled on the lore for Vex's story in The Dark Mirror, so it's not _fully_ compliant with what we have. I intend to fix that at some point and change bits so it is, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. Expect changes in the future!

The first time Shadow met Empyrean’s loftwing, he looked absolutely _awestruck_. Empyrean had called him down from the sky with a piercing whistle just before the group traveled to the next location that Lorelle saw fit to send them, and as he came into view, Empyrean heard Shadow’s shocked voice next to him.

“Is that a _dragon?”_

Empyrean looked down at Shadow, whose eyes looked about the size of his hand as he stared up at the loftwing. As the beast landed, he smirked and said, “The more accurate term would be wyvern. But close enough.” Empyrean strode forward towards his partner, who lowered his head so a fond hand could be placed upon it. “His name’s Sheerow.”

Shadow snorted a laugh, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb, “You mean like scaredy-cat over there’s bird?” As if on cue, a small white and blue bird suddenly seemed to catch sight of the giant, draconic creature and let out a loud squawk before diving into the hood of its person’s robe. Startled by the unexpected noise, the wyvern saw the bird and reared like a spooked horse, screeching out its surprise.

Empyrean scowled, once more reaching out a hand to try to calm his partner, and snapped at the offending duo, “Sketch! Keep your bird _away_ from my loftwing!”

_“You’re_ the one who called it here! Don’t blame this on _my_ Sheerow!” A second later, there was another screech from the loftwing, making Sketch yelp before backing away quickly, stammering out, “Y-y’know what? I’ll go see if Warp needs any help!”

Shaking his head with a sigh, Empyrean reached back out to his loftwing. “It’s alright, partner. The tiny bird’s gone now.” The wyvern screeched again, but - thankfully - less loud than he had been. He folded his wings back, and lowered his head back to his friend’s level. “We’re going somewhere else soon. Ready to go through the portal again? You remember how that was, yeah?” There was another quiet squawking noise, and Empyrean continued, “Yeah, I know it’s weird. It’ll be fine though, don’t worry.”

“Does it really understand you?”

Empyrean started slightly, having assumed that Shadow had left around the same time Sketch had. A bit irritated, he looked down at him again, but was surprised to see that same awed expression as he stared at Sheerow. “Of course he does,” Empyrean replied, “he’s an intelligent creature. He can understand everything anyone says.”

Shadow paused as if he were thinking about something, then asked, “Can I ride him?”

“What?” Empyrean reeled back, clearly shocked, before he followed with a strict, “No!”

“Why not?”

“Because he’s an intelligent creature! He can think for himself, and he _chose_ me as his partner! Nobody _gave_ him to me!” Empyrean made a frustrated noise in the back of his throat, and - without thinking - said, “You can ride him if _he_ lets you. Don’t come crying to me if he bites you for trying to get too close without his permission.”

Shadow looked damn near ecstatic when he heard that, and ever since that day, Empyrean saw him hanging around his loftwing almost constantly. Whenever he wasn’t dragged off by Shade to experiment with all sorts of magic that was _very_ foreign, or scheming something with Compass and Sketch, he was with Sheerow. It seemed to him like Shadow had taken his warning to heart, and actually seemed comfortable just talking to the wyvern, who seemed equally fine with listening to this short, strange kid who was decidedly _not_ the boy he’d chosen to be his partner so many years ago.

As long as Sheerow didn’t seem to mind Shadow’s constant pestering, Empyrean supposed that he didn’t mind either.

What Empyrean never expected, however, was for things to change so drastically one day, when they found themselves in his own Lorule. The Knights of Skyloft were only able to venture so far from the settlements before they found themselves spread too thin, so travel was still dangerous no matter how well acquainted Empyrean had gotten with the Surface on his journey; monsters still lurked around every corner.

Or, to Empyrean’s shock and horror, in a massive horde that was approaching the newest village at the foot of the Mountain of Mun - one that was so new that it would be easy pickings for _anything_ that attacked. The mass was still far enough away that it was impossible to pick out individual monsters, but the fact that the crowd was visible _at all_ from such a distance was indicative enough of its size. If they did nothing, the town would be doomed.

In hindsight, however, he’d been hasty in his actions. Without hesitation, Empyrean had urged the group to descend the mountain to meet the monsters in the snowfield before they could reach the near-defenseless village. Very few - if any - of them had experience fighting a horde like that in an open field, but Empyrean hadn’t thought of that at the time. Battler had done the best he could, his enchanted hammer destroying scores of them at a time, but there were just too many. Origin, Space, and Sketch could only fire arrows so fast, but a mere three archers wasn’t _nearly_ enough to cover such a vast area. The rest of them did what they could with magic, but Shade wasn’t as experienced with offensive magic as one might expect, and the Sovereign Rod was _not_ all-powerful, contrary to what some might believe.

It was a losing battle from the start. There had been so much chaos surrounding each and every one of them, that no one had noticed that Shadow had stolen away from the fight until Empyrean heard a loud, shrill whistle over the din, closely followed by Sheerow’s familiar screeching. Only a few moments later, and Sheerow flew into sight overhead, a small black-clad figure on his back. Apprehension filled Empyrean as he heard Shadow’s yell over the _entire_ battlefield.

_“Fire in the hole!”_

Every single one of Lorule’s heroes and every monster in the horde looked up, just in time to see the wyvern’s jaws open, fire pouring from its mouth onto the back line of monsters. Distantly, Empyrean could hear the shrieks of burning monsters as bursts of Shadow’s own dark magic rained down on their heads.

After the initial shock wore off, Empyrean exchanged concerned glances with Viola, a tense beat passing between them - and then they were running. They both shouted as loud as they could over the chaos, screaming for everyone to retreat and take cover.

It was a close call - particularly for Battler, who had fought his way the deepest into the center of the monster horde - but by the grace of the goddesses, everyone was able to make it up to a rocky slope overlooking the field. They all watched as Shadow and Sheerow ravaged the monsters from above, and once or twice Empyrean swore he could see Shadow with the most manic grin he’d ever seen.

By the time he was done, the only figures left on the field were stragglers who had barely managed to escape, and who would no doubt be killed by the knights in the village should they still decide to attack. Sheerow circled around the field, higher than he’d been when he was attacking, and after a moment, Empyrean whistled for him to come back down.

By the time they touched land, Shadow looked absolutely euphoric, to the point where he was cackling with excitement about what he’d just done. The first thing he said as he slid off of the loftwing’s back was, “That was _awesome_.”

“That was _dangerous_ ,” Empyrean corrected, voice stern, which finally seemed to get Shadow to notice that he was the only one who looked excited about this. “Did you have _any_ idea where all of us were? Do you know how close you could’ve gotten to catching one of _us_ in Sheerow’s path?”

Shadow crossed his arms defensively, glaring at his leader as he retorted, “Of course I knew where everybody was! Why do you think we started where we did? Y’all were in _front_ of the mob, not _behind_ it, so I figured y’all would see me and run before I got to the front. And it _worked_ , didn’t it? No more monsters attacking that dinky little town!”

“That’s not the point!” Empyrean scolded, which was met with a bitter scowl from Shadow. “The point is, you didn’t tell _anyone_ what you were planning! We didn’t have enough time to make sure everyone would be safe before you started torching the entire field! It doesn’t matter _how_ effective a plan it is if one of us dies in the process!”

“So you would’ve preferred it if we _all_ died and that village got obliterated as long as I didn’t do something _unplanned?”_ Shadow sneered. “Alright, _fine._ Next time this happens, I’ll just do _nothing_ then.”

Empyrean let out a sigh of pure frustration, pinching his nose for a moment before saying, “Look. It worked. That _was_ effective. But it was also _incredibly_ destructive and risky. You _cannot_ do that just _whenever,_ even if Sheerow let you ride him.”

Shadow’s grip on his arms tightened, “I wasn’t _going_ to! What, do you think I’m just gonna rain terror like that all the time just _because?”_

_“No_ , I’m just saying you can’t do that in _every fight we get in._ Bringing in Sheerow like that is a _last resort,_ not an everyday tactic.” Shadow still looked angry and defensive, and Empyrean glanced at Sheerow, who was staring pointedly back at him. He sighed again, continuing, “Look, it was good thinking. Just... don’t do that again unless I give you the okay, got it?”

Shadow just muttered a bitter, _“Fine,”_ and that seemed to be the end of it. The group set up camp right on the ridge, and tended to any injuries sustained in the fight; except for Shadow, who seemed to be sulking a short distance away. Empyrean was about to consider talking with him again when a hand on his shoulder stopped him, forcing him to pause and turn to face the person now apparently beside him.

“I’ll go speak with him,” Shade said with a calm smile. “He might not be as receptive to you, since you scolded him earlier. Besides, it’s been a while since he and I discussed our magic.”

He didn’t argue, nodding his head in agreement before watching as the Twili approached Shadow, who didn’t seem too keen on being bothered, but still followed Shade further away from the camp - albeit while rolling his eyes. Once they were gone, Empyrean turned his attention to the rest of the group, particularly towards Sketch and _his_ Sheerow, who both seemed to be trying to hide in the former’s hood. He seemed to stiffen when Empyrean sat next to him, but then relaxed, shoulders sagging slightly when all Empyrean asked was, “So. How are you doing after… all that?”

Sketch sighed, and the rest of the evening was spent beside the merchant - as well as a few of the others - calming them down from the previous excitement from earlier in the day, and deciding who took which watch. There was still some tension between the group and Shadow, but - at the very least - it didn’t seem to be anything that would last forever, and was already fading fast.

* * *

They were in Sketch’s Lorule the second time it happened, and this time they weren’t alone.

By some divine intervention of Hylia and Lorelle, Sketch’s counterpart and the other Links were there as well. Empyrean had been confused, but not at all dismayed by their presence when they came across them; many of the Ravios were glad to actually see them again, or were at the very least curious about their own counterparts. Viola had introduced Space to Time, Sketch was chattering to Legend about something or another, and even Compass was already trying to make bets with Wind about who could sing a certain shanty louder. Shade had taken refuge in Space’s shadow, as he usually did when their Hyrulean counterparts were around, but Empyrean was a bit surprised to see Shadow get along with Four so easily. He supposed it made sense; he _had_ mentioned he’d been to Hyrule before. They must have met there as well at _least_ once.

Empyrean became _incredibly_ grateful for them, however, when people who introduced themselves as the leaders of the Masked Cult showed up near Lorule Castle with an entire _army_ of monsters behind them. They were demanding for Princess Hilda’s surrender, and seemed intent on taking over the newly-rejuvenated kingdom by force. The cult’s army of monsters was enormous, and had they been alone, the Ravios wouldn’t have stood a chance. The scales were balanced a bit more thanks to the Links and their skills in swordplay, but it was still a game of numbers.

They were _severely_ outnumbered.

The fight had begun when - to everyone’s surprise - _Sketch_ had fired the first shot at one of the masked cultists. The Links had run into the fray with Battler not far behind them, and all of the magic-users acted as a barrier between the archers and any monster who might get any ideas. It became obvious quickly enough, however, that the fight was not going in their favor. In an attempt to prevent any monsters from reaching the castle, Battler and the Links had spread themselves too thin and only managed to make that _more_ possible. The monsters attempted to push through the gaps in their defenses, and some of them managed to reach the mages before being struck down by either a well placed arrow, or a quick burst of magic.

When Battler took a Taros’ trident to the shoulder, Empyrean made a decision. “Shadow,” he shouted over the din of battle, “Go get Sheerow!”

“Are you serious?” Shadow yelled back, sounding shocked. “Right now?”

“Yes, now!  _Go!”_ When he looked over to where Shadow had been fighting again, he was gone. They only had a brief amount of time before it’d be too late - they needed to retreat, and fast. Sketch must have overheard Empyrean’s instructions the first time, because his bow arm had dropped _instantly_ as he looked at their leader in fear. There hadn’t even been a chance to shout the first, “Retreat,” before the merchant was hurtling past their protective line to reach Legend, pulling at the hero’s arm with a panicked urgency.

The rest of the Links were clearly just as confused as their red-clad brother, but not the Ravios - they knew what was coming. Each one grabbed one of their counterparts and urged them to trust them because they needed to leave _quickly_ , and they had just barely disengaged with the army of monsters when Sheerow let out a loud screech. The Links all looked around frantically, trying to find the source, when it flew overhead.

On his back, Shadow was holding on tight, his hat flapping in the wind, and an excited grin splitting his face. His eyes held a manic glint as he shouted, _“Fire in the hole!”_

The fire was so intense that they could all feel the heat on their backs even as they continued to move away from the bridge connecting to Lorule Castle, which was now blocked by a wall of flame. The Links were all shooting wide-eyed stares over their shoulders at the purple wyvern that was now burning their enemies in their place, and Empyrean was doing the same in order to make sure that Sheerow and Shadow both remained safe. He didn’t doubt either of them, but-

Suddenly, as Empyrean continued to move with his head still looking over his shoulder, he noticed one of the Links - he couldn’t immediately tell which one - had stopped and was aiming an arrow higher than any of the monsters would be. His eyes went wide and before the bowstring could be released, Empyrean shoved the offending hero off balance along with his aim. _“What do you think you’re doing?”_ He shrieked, glaring daggers at him as everyone else stopped to look back at them.

“That’s a monster, isn’t it?” The Link, who on closer inspection Empyrean remembered was called Wild, sounded just as urgently confused and alarmed as Empyrean had himself. Unfortunately, any patience he may have had died the instant Wild had attempted to shoot his loftwing.

_“He absolutely is_ **_not_ ** _a monster!”_ Empyrean shouted, somehow louder than before. “If you try to shoot Sheerow again, _he_ won’t be the one you have to worry about burning you to a crisp!” He grabbed Wild’s arm, dragging the younger hero behind him as he continued their escape from being caught up in Shadow and Sheerow’s possible warpath.

Once they were all decidedly a safe enough distance away, the entire platoon came to a halt, many turning to watch the carnage being rained down upon the dwindling army of monsters trapped in the line of fire. Four, Shadow’s counterpart, was one of the ones staring, and he looked absolutely horrified. To Empyrean, it seemed like the smallest Link was having some kind of crisis at the sight of Shadow’s actions, eyes wide and rapidly muttering something incoherent to himself. 

He had been considering asking the smallest Link what was on his mind, but Time stiffly marched toward him, his eye narrowed, before he got the chance. “What was that? Is _that_ how you win _every_ fight?” He demanded, gesturing at Shadow and the wyvern.

Empyrean scowled at the judgmental tone, turning to face the leader of the other group with frustration. “No. That’s a last resort measure that we only take when we _know_ we’re going to lose. Which we _were_ . There were too many of them and you were going to be surrounded and overwhelmed. I’m aware of how dangerous this maneuver is, and trust me, I did _not_ tell Shadow to do it lightly.”

“How do you know he’s going to stop?”

The question was relatively quiet, but it was so unexpected that it seemed to echo much louder in Empyrean’s ears. He looked down at Four, who hadn’t taken his eyes off of Sheerow - or maybe it was Shadow that he was staring at - and asked, “What?”

“How do you know he’s going to stop?” Four repeated, finally looking up at Empyrean. “Once all the monsters are gone, how do you know he’s not going to just keep using the dragon to burn the castle next, and then the town near it, and everything else?” He sounded so _genuine_ in asking, but the question sounded so ridiculous that Empyrean was at a total loss for words.

It was a moment later that he found his voice again. “Why _would_ he?” he asked, still bewildered.

Four still looked conflicted, but admitted, “I mean… he served _Ganon_ once. He helped destroy Hyrule Castle and I saw him do something _just_ like this in Hyrule. If he’s got a dragon here too, he might-”

“He’s _not_ ,” Empyrean cut him off. “The _last_ thing he’s going to do is use _my_ loftwing to destroy _our_ kingdom, primarily because he has _no reason to._ ”

“I’m just saying he might! What if he’s still being influenced by Ganon or whatever dark power might exist here?”

“Let me assure you, he’s _not_ . If Sheerow sensed any malicious intent, he would _never_ have let Shadow ride him, so if you have more faith in a stranger’s loftwing than your own _friend_ , that’s _your_ problem.”

“I’m only warning you that he’s done it before and he could do it again! If _you_ want to ignore it and let your kingdom burn, that’s _your_ problem!” Both of their voices had been getting louder, and by the time those words left Four’s mouth, he and Empyrean were all but shouting. They were so focused on their argument that they hadn’t noticed the wingbeats growing steadily closer.

Sheerow’s sudden impact upon the ground startled everyone, since they had all been distracted by the rapidly-escalating argument. The loftwing lowered a wing to let his passenger off, and when Empyrean caught a glimpse of Shadow’s face, it looked like he’d been slapped. He shot Four a look that no one could even begin to decipher, before storming away without a word. Empyrean - and almost everyone else to be honest - followed him with their eyes until he disappeared into a nearby forest.

Empyrean glared at Four, who suddenly looked _incredibly_ guilty, given how convinced in his own thoughts he’d sounded only a few seconds ago. “Do you _still_ think that he has _any_ intention of burning Lorule to the ground?” he demanded, then turned to Time, who was still standing nearby. “Do you think _I_ have any intention of letting a kingdom that I helped _found_ fall, for _any_ reason? I wouldn’t give an order like that unless there was no other option, and guess what? _There were none._ So if you don’t like my leadership style, feel free to find the nearest portal back to Hyrule. I’m sure you’ll be more _comfortable_ there.” With that, he left, following Shadow into the forest. He didn’t even bother to look back when he addressed the remaining Ravios, his focus solely on the forest ahead as he ordered, “Make camp around here. I doubt we’ll find anywhere better before it gets dark. And, for Klino’s sake, _somebody_ take care of Battler!”

Empyrean was still scowling, fists clenched at his sides as he marched away from their newly-selected camp. He couldn't stand to be there anymore, not when the Links - even only a few of them - were attempting to insinuate that one of _his_ was untrustworthy. That _his_ friend might be plotting to use his wyvern for evil.

It was ridiculous. Shadow might occasionally take a prank a bit too far, and delight in the chaos he could bring from Sheerow's back, but Empyrean had only seen him attack _enemies_ in that way. Yes, he was aware that Shadow had been under Ganon's control at one point, but he couldn't even _imagine_ that he'd ever attack innocents like that. Not now. Not when he was with the rest of their group.

It had been obvious that Shadow thought that too, if the way that he stormed into the woods was any indication.

Empyrean stopped with a frustrated sigh, looking around for any sign of which way Shadow might have gone, when he felt a sudden presence appear next to him.

"That was certainly a scene you made. I'm sure our guests are a bit… uncomfortable."

"I don't give a damn if they're uncomfortable," he snapped, turning to face the Twili. "The little one said that Shadow was going to kill _innocents._ **_Innocents_ **, Shade! And now he's gone off somewhere in these goddess-forsaken woods! I swear, if I find him hurt, I'm gonna-"

Shade raised a hand to stop his tirade. "I'm not disagreeing with you, Empyrean. I'm here because I saw how distressed he seemed when he left. I want to find him just as badly as you do."

With another heavy breath, Empyrean ran his fingers through his hair. Shade wasn't the problem. He couldn't let out his anger on him. "Okay," he exhaled. "Fine. We'll split up to look for him then," he raised an arm to gesture behind Shade, continuing, "You take that side; I'll take this one."

Shade nodded in assent. "If you find him, I would suggest treading carefully. As I've helped him hone his magical ability, I have found his emotions to be… volatile, to say the least. His frustration, in particular, though I doubt that is the only thing he is feeling right now.”

“Yeah. No shit.”

“I’m only warning you to be aware. May the goddesses grant luck to both of us tonight.”

They then went their separate ways. For the first half-hour or so of his search, Empyrean heard and saw nothing; there wasn't even the slightest trace of a trail that Shadow might have left. He wasn't about to give up, of course, but - alone as he was - he could feel a rant coming on.

Just as the first word was about to escape his lips, a sudden movement in front of him forced him to stop short. An arrow protruded from the trunk of a tree just near him, with familiar flame-colored fletching indicating the archer. Empyrean glanced toward the direction from which it had come as he approached the arrow, searching along the shaft for the small paper he knew he'd find tied to it. The scrawl was by no means neat, but it was at the very least legible.

_I saw the short one pass by earlier. There's a pond a few minutes' walk to the west of where you are now. He's probably still there._

When Empyrean looked in the direction of the archer again, he saw a distant head of purple hair and a yellow cloak around his shoulders, and nodded his thanks. The figure disappeared a moment later.

He followed Origin's directions, praying to Lorelle that Shadow would still be there. To his partial relief, as he evidently grew nearer to the pond, Empyrean heard angry mumbling from ahead of him, but he could swear he also heard a strange tearing sound every few moments.

Once the pond was finally in view, Empyrean stopped short as he took in the scene. The person in front of him was undoubtedly Shadow, but the hat he was so damn fond of was lying in the mud a few feet away from him. He seemed like he was fully focused on his own reflection in the pond, a fistful of his long purple hair grasped tightly in one hand; in the other, a dagger. With another mumble, which sounded suspiciously like, _"Fucking_ **_liars_** _,"_ to Empyrean's ears, Shadow jerked the dagger outward, slicing cleanly through the strands.

He let it fall into the steadily growing pile around his feet, and grabbed another clump when Empyrean finally broke out of his stupor. He stepped forward, just barely beginning to call out, "Shadow," when the boy’s head whipped around to face him.

If Empyrean hadn't already figured out that Shadow was upset, his expression proved it beyond doubt. His mouth was twisted just shy of a snarl and the incomplete, hastily done haircut only made him look more wild. Despite the glare that threatened to burn holes into him though, tear tracks stained Shadow's face.

"What are you doing here?" Shadow demanded, releasing his hair as though he'd been caught. "Go away!"

Empyrean met Shadow's glare with a firm stare that he could only hope masked his own anger at the entire situation - especially the incident that sparked it all. "You ran off into the woods of _Sketch’s_ Lorule, _alone._ At _night_. Did you think we _weren't_ going to come looking for you?"

"I dunno," Shadow spat, "I thought you'd be too busy talking to the fucking _Links_ about how I'm a danger to society and gonna murder random citizens of Lorule for shits and giggles to care."

Empyrean's face twitched, but fought off the urge to scowl at that remark. "I don't think that and you know it. _None_ of us do. You're _one of us._ "

Shadow barked a caustic laugh. "Yeah, right! Where have I heard _that_ one before." He tapped the flat side of the dagger against his cheek as if he were deep in thought for a split second. "Oh _that's_ right. From the same _fucking_ people who just called me a _murderer!"_

Empyrean frowned, brow furrowing. He couldn't think of how Shadow might have heard that from Time. Four, maybe, since Shadow had seemed friendly with him before, but he guessed that made overhearing it from him that much worse. It was just strange that Shadow was referring to multiple people, not just one, and only Time and Four had approached him about the supposed ‘problem.’

Even without a response, Shadow continued, his bitter laugh turning to something pained. “I know I’ve done fucked up shit before, I _know_ that, so I’m not tryin’ to say I’m some pure angel, but I _helped_ them in the end, didn’t I? I shattered that fucking mirror to save their _precious kingdom_ and they _still_ think I’m gonna try to kill everyone in this one? The one that’s _my_ home?” The laugh that escaped him sounded forced and hysterical. “I always knew they only said I was one of them because they thought I was dying, but guess I can’t live in denial anymore. I’m just their _fucking_ shadow.” With the last word, Shadow kicked at the ground, sending a small cloud of dirt and violet hair a few inches into the air before it settled.

There was a second or two of silence as Empyrean took in everything that was just said. He still didn’t entirely understand, but he at the very least knew that Shadow had once been under Ganon’s control, and had therefore met his Hylian counterpart before. Shadow had never let on much about what _exactly_ that meant, but now Empyrean was seeing what happened when the walls he put up exploded.

“You’re right,” Empyrean said, his voice carefully even. “You’re _not_ a Link.”

“That supposed to make me feel _better?”_  

“You’re not a _shadow_ either.”

“If _you’re_ just saying this out of pity, I don’t _want your-”_

“You’re a _Ravio_. We all call you Shadow because you introduced yourself to us that way, but you’re _not_ just a Link’s shadow. You’re your own person who got dragged into some other world’s war by the wrong side. You didn’t get a choice in that. You _do_ get a choice now, and I trust that you don’t want to destroy Lorule for any reason - let alone some _other_ kingdom’s villain’s reasons. You’re a Ravio, same as me, same as Origin, same as Space, same as all the others, understand?”

At some point during Empyrean’s spiel, Shadow lost the aggressive stance he’d taken at the beginning, and no longer had the hilt of the knife in a white-knuckled grip; he’d crossed his arms over his chest and refused to meet Empyrean’s gaze again, muttering something unintelligible under his breath, and causing Empyrean’s eyes to harden as he asked sternly, “What was that?”

“I _said_ now I know why Compass calls you dad all the time,” Shadow said, louder but without most of the bitterness that his voice held before.

Empyrean rolled his eyes, unable to suppress the slight upturn to his lips. “Of course he does. Now do you understand what I’m saying, or do I need to rope you into a game of catch to make the message sink in?”

Shadow’s expression contorted like he was trying and failing to mask amusement with contempt. “Fuck, fine, okay? I get it. I’m me or whatever. Don’t bring torture into this.”

Empyrean finally let the fond grin he’d been barely suppressing cross his face, and then gestured to the knife in his hands. “Do you need help with your hair? I think I interrupted your progress.”

Shadow turned around to look at his reflection in the pond, before he gathered up the last of his hair that was still long, and with another quick movement of his knife, let it fall into the pile at his feet. He stood up then, his now-shorter hair ruffled lightly by the wind, and said, “Nah. I’ve got it.”

“Any particular reason for this?”

Shadow made a face, grimacing before replying shortly with, “I didn’t wanna look like them anymore.” At Empyrean’s concerned expression, he looked irritated and snapped, “Don’t look at me like that! I just didn’t want to look exactly like Four anymore!”

“Is this a full re-invention of your look? Everything changes?”

“Maybe!”

“Even your hat?”

Two sets of eyes finally found the black hat on the ground, and Shadow grabbed it up and held it close as he said firmly, “The hat _stays.”_

Empyrean laughed, “Alright, New Shadow, Shade might still be looking for you. Let’s go tell him you’re fine and figure out how we’re going to handle the rest of the time the Hylians are going to be here, yeah?”

**Author's Note:**

> For extra context the goddesses in Lorule are different from the ones in Hyrule, and they represent different things. Lorelle is Hylia's counterpart and the goddess of space, Pavhalla is the goddess of reason, Klino is the goddess of will, and Mun is the goddess of beauty.
> 
> u fuckin know im makin more of these babey B)
> 
> and now....... [art of Shadow and Sheerow.......](https://one-becomes-tart.tumblr.com/post/185877667350/shadow-deserves-a-dragon-friend-and-thats) because shadow making friends with dragons is just what he deserves and thats a written in stone Fact


End file.
